Ok, so I am giving this book five stars…
I have a confession. I know the real Tom. We were hired together at the same company back in the 90s. For me, and if memory serves me, it was my and Tom’s first jet job. We had to pay for our own training (dating ourselves, for sure). The feeling I had was that we were in over our heads. I can remember sitting in a hotel room with Tom, chair flying (probable beer in hand). Our sim instructor tells us we should take advantage of “SA.” I was like, what is that? It's “space available” time in the simulator, off motion, when no one is around to work on your junk. Apparently, we weren’t the sharpest tools… 😊 However, in the end, we did what needed to be done, and we passed graciously. --- I have only talked to Tom a few times in the quarter century since then, as we eventually went out separate ways.
I tell the above story because Tom had this distinctive personality and was a linguistic master, a way with his words. Probably half of what got us through “type-rating” (jet) training. Reading this book took me back to 25 years ago. I felt like I had reconnected with an old friend, like he was telling me this story in my living room. The book is an easy, quick read. I tend to read a lot of non-fiction, mind-melting stuff. This book was an awesome reprieve from that. Tom does a great job telling a story, making you feel like you are there with him. There is a sense of a “rite of passage” as you read the story. While being a pilot is nice, I think any human would enjoy this book. It should be on the New York Times' top 1000 (Joke Tom). Ruddster is someone many of us can relate to and appreciate. In the end, he is a good guy! And Jilly Ree, she is real! I have met her! Clean living Tom, clean living!
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